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State honors council to hold conference Feb. 8-9

Undergraduate research and working closely with faculty members are key components of the honors program at the University of North Georgia and many other colleges and universities.

The Georgia Collegiate Honors Council (GCHC) will celebrate
its 30th year of promoting honors education in institutions of higher learning
across the state during the organization's annual meeting, set for Feb. 8-9 at
Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga.

The organization's current president, Dr. Stephen M. Smith,
a professor of psychology and honors program director at the University of
North Georgia, said honors education is more vital today than ever, as the inter-disciplinary
learning that has long been the hallmark of honors programs reflects the nature
of today's global community.

"The world itself is increasingly interconnected, and
knowledge is increasingly interconnected. Honors education traditionally has explored
that through plans of study involving classes that aren't housed in just one
discipline," Smith said. "As a consequence, honors students get
exposed to things they wouldn't encounter in a standard undergraduate
curriculum. They develop skills essential to be leaders in our global community
and develop that ability to figure out answers on their own."

GCHC started as the Georgia Honors Council in 1984 at
Georgia College and State University when representatives from college and
university honors programs across the state gathered to create an association
supporting honors education. Colleges and universities with honors programs or
having an interest in offering honors education are eligible for institutional
membership. GCHC memberships also may be held by other institutions, such as
foundations or educational organizations, with an interest in honors education.

The theme for this year's conference, "30 Years of
Honors: Culturing the Pearls of Wisdom," marks the organization's
milestone and seeks to embrace undergraduate research and creativity, an
important focus for honors programs along with experiential learning that takes
place outside the classroom.

"All honors programs have experiences outside the
classroom that supplement the students' education," Smith said. "Honors
programs use lots of extracurricular activities — at UNG we provide
opportunities for study abroad and field trips. Also, because of the emphasis
on undergraduate research, honors students often develop a mentor/mentee
relationship through working closely with faculty members."

At the upcoming annual meeting, honors program directors and
students from across the state will present academic papers and share ideas. The
conference also includes best paper and best poster competitions, with cash
prizes given to the top two papers and posters in each of five categories: natural
sciences, humanities, social sciences, fine arts, and professional studies
(health sciences, business, etc.).